Are farmstays in NZ fun??
Mar 31st, 2005, 04:06 PM
#1
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Are farmstays in NZ fun??
My husband, daughter (who has been studying at the University of NewCastle in Australia) and I are taking 14 days traveling by car in New Zealand. We are planning to explore as much as we can. We will have 10 days in the South Island, 4 days in the North Island, starting with Queenstown and ending in Auckland. We are adventuresome and spontaneous. I understand farmstays are lots of fun. Any ideas?
Mar 31st, 2005, 09:16 PM
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I think that farmstays are wonderful - you stay with real folks who know their country, so you realy learn what NZ is all about. Many of the B & Bs in NZ are actually on farms. We herded deer, sheared (badly!) sheep, picked berries, and captured butterflies. I'd suggest buying the NZ Bed and Breakfast book (www.bnb.co.nz), then stopping at whichever places suit your fancy.
Apr 1st, 2005, 03:48 PM
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My wife & I did a farm stay in Fairle, NZ this past Feb. I agree with ALF you really do get to meet some wonderful folks. Having said that I must offer you some negatives. The day we arrived in Fairle it was very HOT and the farms do not normally have A/C! In fact our farm did not have one screened window - as a result half of all the flying insects in NZ seemed to be in our room. I have since discovered that screens are not a priority in NZ - strange but true. Our Queenstown Hotel, also during a warm spell, had no screens on the windows. However all of our beds did have electric heating pads. I personallly would opt for the screened windows.
On the positive side, we did get to see real farmers doing their daily routines & sheep dogs doing their thing - this alone was worth the insect discomfit.
I understand that Fairle has an organized farm stay association with a couple dozen or so farms involved.
On the positive side, we did get to see real farmers doing their daily routines & sheep dogs doing their thing - this alone was worth the insect discomfit.
I understand that Fairle has an organized farm stay association with a couple dozen or so farms involved.
Apr 2nd, 2005, 03:29 PM
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Thanks so much for your help. Farmstays sound like fun so, with your encouragement, we will do it!! Do you really think that by buy buying the NZ Bed and Breakfast book that should do it? I'm going to Amazon.com right now!
Can we just stop by or are reservations ussually necessary? Any suggestions!? Thanks again!!
Can we just stop by or are reservations ussually necessary? Any suggestions!? Thanks again!!
Apr 2nd, 2005, 04:06 PM
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Hi susug - the New Zealand B&B Book is contains many farmstays and the book would be the most comprehensive in New Zealand for B&B's and farmstays. You don't need to buy the book, but it would be handy to have on hand. The whole thing is online at www.bnb.co.nz - the site ALF has given. I used it too on last trip to NZ, it was invaluable. There's also an Australian version, the NZ one is much larger.
Apr 2nd, 2005, 04:11 PM
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susug, meant to add that yes, you should give some notice and also to check if there's availability. I found in most cases, 24 hours was enough. Farmstays are usually some distance from towns and they'll need to know if they're preparing extra meals.
Apr 2nd, 2005, 08:57 PM
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As noted above, 24 hours' notice is reasonable for staying at most B & Bs. One of the really fun parts of staying with NZ B & B hosts, is that they know most of each other, so you can get advice, tips, and probably booking ahead by consulting your host.
Apr 3rd, 2005, 04:43 AM
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Pat, ALF, Captb,
Thanks for the "scoop" on farmstays. I love that you can hop from one to the next with such short notice! We will do it and I am ordering the book today to have on hand as we explore!! Again, many thanks!
Thanks for the "scoop" on farmstays. I love that you can hop from one to the next with such short notice! We will do it and I am ordering the book today to have on hand as we explore!! Again, many thanks!
Apr 3rd, 2005, 10:20 AM
#9
For anyone interested in Farmstays on the South Island, I'll highly recommend "Karamea Beachfront Farmstay B&B". It's a bit off the beaten path, but Karamea has one of the most unusual landscapes to my eye, with the Nikau Palms among grazing pastures. The hosts are wonderful. This is a dairy farm that includes a beachfront. I added a day to my stay just because the hospitality was so wonderful, including the cooking. They are listed in Bnb.co.nz, see for more details.
